1. Field of the Invention
This invention discloses a snap lock to secure the attachments of movable parts to a wind wheel and kites.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, there have been a number of inventions relating to amusement devices based on wind power.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,583,881 (J. Heberling) discloses a pinwheel having a relatively rigid metal center, flexible non-metallic blades fastened to the center, with each of the blades being individual and being cut as a blank separate from the remaining blades, a portion of each of the blades being curved over the metal center.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,669,748 (G. G. Greger) discloses a pin wheel having a wheel made from a blank provided with curved slits to form a plurality of tapering blades. The wheel has its central portion mounted on the pin with the blade tips brought together on the pin in spaced relation to the central portion of the wheel blank. A baffle on the pin rests against the edges of the gathered tip portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,691 (Chiu) discloses a sphere and rod construction toy which comprises generally spherical construction members having threaded openings provided thereon and rod members having extensible and contractible screw members provided at each end thereof. Five threaded openings are disposed at both the upper and lower hemispheres of the spherical members. One of the five threaded openings is disposed along a central vertical axis whereas the other four at an angle of 45 degree from the axis. Four to eight threaded openings are disposed along the equator of the spherical members. Each end of the rod member has an extensible and contractible screw and a screw fastening device. A variety of patterns, models, and objects can be constructed by using the spherical and rod construction members.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,346 (Cho) discloses a kite including a lightweight sheet material and a support structure. The sheet material is secured to the support structure. The support structure has at least one end thereof provided with a threaded profile. A threaded fastener is rotatably positionable on the support member to thereby balance the weight of the kite.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,673 (Kwok et al.) discloses a wind direction indicator having a rotatable wind vane and a support for connection to the mast of a yacht. The vane is connected to the support by means of a gimbal mechanism and a stabilizing weight is connected to the gimbal mechanism diametrically opposite the vane.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,406 (Coffey) discloses a wind direction device for attachment to a boat shroud for indicating the direction of the wind relative to the direction of travel of the boat. The device includes several wraps of adhesive tape around a boat shroud to form an upwardly facing shoulder at a midpoint of the shroud of the boat, a bearing resting on the shoulder and having a hold through which is received the shroud, which bearing as a slit in one side and is sufficiently flexible and resilient so that the size of the slit can be varied to position the bearing around the shroud and retain the bearing on the shroud.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,358 (Galloway et al.) discloses an apparent wind direction indicator having a masthead device for sailboats. These marks can be adjusted with greater compass accuracy to allow several settings in each quadrant creating a series of reference points enabling one to more accurately determine the apparent wind angle from a center point and thus optimize sail trim, heading and boat speed.
U.S. Pat. 2,086,361 (W. B. Kaszas) discloses an airplane kite with a fan wheel mounted on an extended part of the kite.
U.S. Pat. 6,206,747 (Skwarek) discloses a colorful wind indicator which comprises a tail section for catching wind, a front section for indicating the direction of the wind, a tail mounting section for mounting the tail section, a joinder for joining the tail mounting section with the front section and a pole upon which the assembly rotates. The device taught by this patent (herein incorporated by reference) further comprises two disk type structures, with one of the disk type structures being positioned at a proximal end of said hollow rod closest to said pivot doll, and the other disk type structure being positioned at a distal end of the hollow rod farthest away from said pivot doll, with the disk type structures having a plurality of holes around the circumference of each disk type structure. The wind wheel further comprises vanes for catching the wind, with the vanes having a frame which had projections which fit into the disk type structures. In one embodiment, the ends of the projections are bulbous, and fit into appropriately grooved disk type structures.
The hollow rod, to which the disk type structures holding the wind vanes is attached, and which is fitted over and can rotate about a rigid piece, is secured by the use of a cap. However, sometimes this cap can come off, whereupon the hollow rod can fall off of the rigid piece. Without the hollow rod which holds, by means of the disk type structures the wind vanes, the wind wheel is rendered less useful and less ornamental.
The proposed invention solves these problem by using a snap lock at the end of the rigid piece. More specifically, it is proposed that a groove be circumferentially positioned near the distal end of the rigid piece. A locking mechanism shaped like a washer but having inner structures which securely snap into the groove is placed over the distal end of the rigid piece. The inner structures fit securely into the groove, insuring that the rotatable structures already positioned on or over the rigid piece do not fall off or are not blown off of the kite or the wind wheel.
In one embodiment of the invention, the snap lock has an integrally connected inner circular catch section which is fitted over the rigid piece, whereupon the inner circular catch section xe2x80x9csnapsxe2x80x9d into the groove positioned on the rigid piece.
In another embodiment of the invention, the snap lock mechanism has an integrally connected sectional catch section which is fitted over the rigid piece, whereupon the inner sectional catch sections xe2x80x9csnapxe2x80x9d into the groove positioned on the rigid piece.